Refrigerating apparatus



Jilly 10, 1945. v c. H. NAUE Ri' 2,380,256

REFRIG-ERATING APPARATUS Filed March 11, 1944 ATTORNEY J gPatented July 10, 1945 REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Carl H. Nauert, Evansville, Ind., assignor to Servel, Inc., New York, N. Y.,

Delaware a corporation of Application March 11, 1944, Serial No. 525,974 3 Claims. (01. 211-153) My invention relates to domestic refrigerators and more particularly to improvements in glass refrigerator shelves for use in the food storage compartment of a domestic refrigerator.

Glass shelves heretofore have been expensive in that it has been necessary to drill holes through the glass in order to mount it on a suitable frame, and in some instances complicated fastening means have been provided to secure the glass to a supporting frame. a

It is an object of my invention to provide a refrigerator shelf wherein strips of glass, plastic, or other suitable non-metallic material; are mounted in a supporting .frame in a simple and inexpensive manner.

It is another object of my invention to provide a refrigerator shelf wherein strips of glass, plastic, or the like, may be readily attached to and detached from a. supporting frame in order to facilitate cleaning of the shelf.

7 Other objects and advantages of the invention I will be apparent as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing'by which a specific embodiment of my invention is illustrated and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a'perspective view of a part of the food storage space of a refrigerator cabinet with my improved glass shelf supported therein;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of my improved shelf;

FigFig. 3 i a sectional .view taken on line 3-4 of Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a corner of the shelf showing part of the elements disassembled: an

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a corner of the shelf opposite that shown in Fig. 4 and showing the elements at the opposite side of the shelf in assembled relation.

Referring to the drawing wherein like reference characters denotellke parts throughout the different views, I designates generally my improved refrigerator shelf. 2 is a hollow member rectangular in cross section which forms one side of a rectangular frame that supports a plurality of strips 3 made material, that make up the. food supporting surface. The member 2 is bent slightly at each end thereof as shown at 4 in Figs. 2 and 5. A single leaf spring I is located in the frame member 2 and is bent in the form of a sine curve as shown in Fig. 2. Member I is provlded-with a plurality of elongated openings 8 which are substantially the same shape and size as the cross section of thestrips 3. Arodiextendsfromeachofthe bent portions 4 of the member 2 and forms of glass, plastic or other suitable the member 2 the rectangular frame for supportwelded or otherwise secured ing the strips 3. This rod is welded or otherwise secured to the bent portions of the member 2.

A plurality of clips 6 are attached to the rod 5 directly opposite openings 8 in member 2, and together with said rod strips.3. These clips 6 are bent to conform to the shape of rod 5, as shown in Fig.3, and are to said rod. The clips 6 are also bent to conform-to the shape of the ends of the strips 3.

'8 and rigidly hold member to In attaching the strips 3 to the supporting frame, one end of a strip is first inserted into an opening 8 in frame members 2 and spring-his compressed until the opposite end of the strip clears the top of a clip 6 opposite said opening. The spring I will then urge the strip into the clip clip. The other strips are inserted into the frame in like manner. In removing the strips 3 from the supporting frame the operation is just the reverse.

While I have illustrated and described one particular embodiment of my understood that the invention is limited only by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A food supporting shelf for a domestic refrigerator comprising a substantially rectangular metal frame, said frame including an elongated hollow member at one end thereof provided with a plurality of elongated openings in one side thereof, a rod extending from each end of said hollow member and cooperating with said hollow form said frame, a plurality of clips on said rod directly opposite said plurality of elongated openings, a plurality of non-metallic strips removably supported on said frame with one end of each or said strips projecting into one of said elongated openings in said hollow frame member and with the opposite'end of each of said strips engaging one of said clips, and a single leaf spring in saidhollow frame member arranged to urge each of, said strips into engagement with one of said clips.

2. A food supporting shelf for use in a domestic refrigerator comprising a rectangular frame including a hollow member at one end thereof formed with a plurality or spaced openings in one face thereof, a leaf spring in said hollow member, said spring having portions thereof bent toward the openings in said hollow member, a rod extending from each end of. said hollow member and bent so as to formwith said hollow member said rectangular frame, a supporting member mountwlth 66 edonsaidrodoppoeiteeachoftheopeninglinthe support one end of the it against the back of said invention, it is to be hollow frame member, and a plurality of glass strips removably moxmted on said rectangular frame with one end of each of said strips resting in one of said supporting members and with the opposite end of each of said strips projecting into one of the openings in said hollow member and with said spring urging said strips toward said supporting membe 3. A food supporting shelf for use in the storage space of a domestic refrigerator comprising a rectangular frame including a hollow member at one end thereof, said hollow member being provided with a plurality of openings in one of its faces, a leaf spring in said hollow member bent in the form of a sine curve with the crests of said curve extending toward the openings in said hollow member, retaining members mounted on said frame opposite each of the openings in said hollow member, and a. plurality of glass strips each having one end supported in one of said retaining members with its opposite end projecting into one of the openings in said hollow member and I urged toward saidretaining member by said leaf spring.

. CARL H. NAUERT. 

